Instructions
Look in the desert areas of Africa. The death adder snake, which lives in the desert, can paralyze with its venom; this bite can cause death if not treated immediately. Death adders are short, with thicker bodies than most snakes in Africa and a triangle-shaped head. Their eyes, with vertical pupils, make them appear extra threatening. Death adders are bright-colored snakes with a yellow body and orange stripes.
Notice the snakes in the tropical areas of Africa, such as eastern Kenya. Two snakes that live in these areas are the gaboon viper and green mamba. The gaboon viper can grow near 2 meters long. It can kill its prey with its venom; the snake releases a large amount at a time with its fangs of nearly 2 inches. The gaboon viper is brownish orange with black stripes. The green mamba is green and can grow as long as 6 feet. It's not aggressive and tends to try to escape any fight or danger.
Search in the eastern and southern regions of Africa. The puff adder, which is a blackish brown, lives in these areas. It got its name from the way it prepares to strike. These snakes tend to puff up and spit before they attack. They grow up to 1 meter long and have heads that are flat and triangular.The puff adder has a very thick body with a stubby tail.
Watch out for one of the deadliest snakes in Africa. The aggressive black mamba, which can grow to almost 3 meters long, is grayish brown. It has black around its mouth; hence the name.
Look in the northern regions of Africa, such as Egypt. You can find king cobras there. King cobras' bites can be deadly, but they don't attack unless they feel threatened. They can grow up to 18 feet long and prefer to live in high altitudes near water. The cobras have what appears to be a flat neck that inflates when they're about to attack. Their colors are a beautiful shiny dark brown on the back and light brown on its belly.
Find the largest snake in Africa. The African rock python is the largest snake in the continent, growing as long as 30 feet and weighing up to 250 pounds. The African rock python lives in high, grassy areas and in trees near water. Despite its size, it doesn't usually attack unless it's hungry. African rock pythons attack their prey by holding them down with their small teeth and squeezing them to death. These snakes are dark and light brown.
How to Identify Snakes in Africa
Africa has many kinds of snakes that are venomous and aggressive, along with those that aren't. They come in all sizes and colors and live in various areas of Africa. They're rather easy to identify, and for the most part it's best to stay away from all of them. If they feel threatened, they will bite--whether they can kill you with their venom or not.